I Promise (5 page)

“Cooking is one of my hidden talents,” Rick replied to Tracy's question.

“I don't remember hearing about your cooking much when you and Doug and Todd shared the apartment in San Diego,” Tracy said.

Rick laughed. “That's because we never had any food in our apartment!”

“You got that right,” Todd said.

“Amen!” Doug agreed.

“I learned a few things at the restaurant where I worked.”

“The Blue Parachute,” Katie said.

Rick looked surprised. “That's right. How did you know that, Katie?”

“We went there one night after the Bible study at your apartment, remember? Christy and I came down to San Diego, and you were at the hospital when we arrived because you sprained your wrist.”

“Oh yeah, that's right.” Rick seemed to be having a hard time remembering that night. “You guys came down, and we went to the zoo.”

Christy remembered the experience vividly because she had watched Rick kiss Katie the night of the Bible study. The next day at the zoo Rick treated Katie terribly. He acted as if nothing had happened between them the night before.

Standing only a few feet from Katie, Christy watched her expression. She saw no indication on Katie's face that the memory of Rick and the zoo was still painful.

“My mom is the real cook in our family,” Rick said. “That's how my dad came up with the idea of starting The Dove's Nest Café next to the Christian bookstore.”

“Why did your dad build The Dove's Nest and The Ark out in Murietta Hot Springs instead of where they live in Escondido or here at the beach?” Doug asked.

“He got a great deal on the property in Murietta. It would have cost two or three times as much here.”

Katie turned to Christy. “And guess where I'm going to work starting in January?”

“Let me guess. The car wash in Temecula?”

“Nooo,” Katie answered playfully. “Guess again. It starts with a ‘dove' and ends with a ‘nest.'”

“Wait a minute,” Christy said. “I thought you said you didn't have any big announcements or secrets?”

“This isn't exactly a secret,” Rick said. “We've been looking for people who can work evenings. It's entry level, but I have a feeling she'll work her way up to just about any position she wants.”

Christy studied her best friend even more carefully. “And just what position do you want, Miss Katie?”

“To attend the Natural Food Faire in San Diego.”

Christy hadn't expected an answer, especially such a random one.

“It's held every February. Rick says we can go and introduce my new Indian Summer herbal tea.”

Christy took note of her roommate's answer. Katie had said “we.” That meant Katie and Rick. The two of them were planning to go together. And the fair wasn't until February.

“Are you ready for this?” Rick asked Christy.

No, I'm not ready for Katie and you to be making plans together so naturally, Rick Doyle. Katie may have forgiven you for the way you treated her years ago, but you're going to have to prove to me you're worthy of renewing such a chummy relationship with my best friend.

Rick pointed to the frying pan and repeated his question. “Are you ready for me to make your omelet? Tell me what you want in it.”

“Oh. Just some cheese.”

“Is that all?”

Christy nodded.

“Don't worry,” Katie said. “My omelet will allow you to showcase your culinary skills.”

“That's my girl.” Rick flashed Katie a big smile. He didn't say it with the manipulative edge his voice had carried in high school. His words, his tone, his expression all reflected warm genuineness.

And it gave Christy a shiver up her spine.
Katie, girl, you and I need to talk.

4
The opportunity for Christy to have a heart-to-heart discussion with Katie seemed to present itself late that night when Katie finally returned to their dorm room. Christy was busy packing her things to go home for Christmas vacation as Katie burst in, bright as a sunbeam.

“Hello, favorite of all the roomies in all the world! Is God incredible or what?” Katie twirled around and flopped on her unmade bed. “I'm telling you, Chris, life is never dull when God is doing His God-things. I'm speechless. No, I'm overly full of speech. Full of praise, actually.”

Katie jumped up and dashed across the room to tackle Christy in a hug. “And speaking of miracles, I still can't believe you and Todd finally are engaged! I loved watching you two sitting close on the couch at Doug and Tracy's. It was adorable the way you were sharing bites of each other's omelets. You both looked so happy, and by the way, weren't those great omelets? Is Rick amazing or what?”

“Katie!” Christy laughed and grasped her friend firmly by the shoulders. “Take a breath! I've seen you hyper before but never this hyper. How much caffeine have you had today?”

“I don't know. Enough to keep me awake after staying up all night. And I drank a lot of homemade hot chocolate. Todd and you left before Rick made it. I had three mugsful! You should have stayed; it was so good. Did you guys go to the mall?” Katie flitted over to her dresser and began to pull out clothes and cosmetics and toss them on her bed.

“No. We were going to look at more rings, but we ended up talking for a long time, and then Todd dropped me off here so I could take a nap before we went to dinner.”

“You wouldn't have needed a nap if you had had some of this hot chocolate! You know how they say that chocolate can give you the feeling of being in love?” Katie wagged her toothbrush at Christy. “Well, I never believed it before today, but after three mugs of pure chocolate, I'm definitely in love!”

“In love with chocolate?” Christy ventured.

“No, not in love with chocolate. In love, in love. You know. Really in love.” Katie's green eyes sparkled as she stopped long enough to give Christy a sideways glance. “Do you think that could be possible?”

Christy wasn't sure she was following Katie's logic. “Are you asking if it's possible for you to be in love someday?”

“Yes, but not someday. Today. With Rick.” Katie's
face went red. “Do you suppose I'm really, truly, finally in love?”

“Katie, it would make more sense if—”

“I know, I know.” Katie turned on her heel and pulled out a large gym bag from her closet. “I'm just hyper. It must be the hot chocolate high. Rick used dark chocolate. I think there's a difference.” She tossed a pair of shoes into the bag and a crumpled pair of jeans. “Dark chocolate probably has more caffeine. Or more of that stuff that induces feelings of being in love.”

“Maybe,” Christy answered cautiously. Then in an effort to move the conversation to a neutral topic so Katie would come down a notch, Christy said, “Are you going to drive home in the morning?”

“No, I'm going home tonight. Didn't I tell you?” Katie paused and added, “Rick is taking me. He's waiting in the lobby. Oh, and I almost forgot. He said he wanted to talk to you if you were here.”

“He wants to talk to me? What about?”

Katie shrugged.

“So, if Rick is driving you home, are you leaving your car here during Christmas break?” Christy asked, trying to make sense of Katie's last-minute plans.

“No. See, I drove Baby Hummer home last night after your engagement party. Rick followed me, and then he and I drove to Doug and Tracy's since their house is only twenty minutes from my parents' house.”

Christy nodded.

“Then, when we left Doug and Tracy's this afternoon, we went to the movies. Then Rick drove me back here to pick up my stuff. Now we're going to Escondido.” Katie casually flipped a feathery strand of hair off her forehead as if her suddenly exploding social life made complete sense.

“Katie?” Christy asked in a small voice.

Katie either didn't hear her or chose not to hear as she continued to haphazardly toss things into her bag and kept talking. “Oh, and I should tell you, Rick wants to go to Mexico with us next week, so we need to add one more to the list when we go buy the food. He said he would help us cook when we're down there. He suggested spaghetti.”

“Katie . . .”

“I told him you probably had the grocery list already figured out. If you'd like, I could ask him to go shopping with us. I'm sure Rick would—”

“Katie!”

“What?” Katie turned and faced Christy, and when she did, her entire countenance fell. “Oh no you don't. I know that look.” Katie set her jaw and lowered her chin.

“What look?”

“I know exactly what you're going to say to me.”

Christy laughed nervously. She hadn't thought she was that transparent. Her concern for Katie obviously showed all over her face.

Katie put down the gym bag and crossed the room in three steps. “You're going to ask me if I've thought
this through and if I think that spending all this time with Rick is a good idea.”

“Well . . .”Christy hesitated. Katie was exactly right, but Christy didn't want to admit it.

“And you know what?” Katie planted her hands on her hips. “I won't let you ask me those questions right now because I didn't go looking for this, Christy. You know I didn't. It just happened. Rick was there at The Dove's Nest, and the guys tried to play a joke on me by having Rick come over and ask me out. But the joke is . . .” Katie's eyes brimmed with tears, and her voice quavered. “The joke is that it isn't a joke. This is the most wonderful, amazing thing that has ever happened to me, Christy Miller, and you are
not
going to analyze it away from me!”

Christy swallowed all the sisterly words of caution that had been filling her mouth. She kept her lips together, not daring to let out a single sound.

“Thank you.” Katie turned with her head held high. “Thank you, my best friend. That's the nicest gift you could give me at this moment.” She grabbed her bag and motioned with her head for Christy to follow her. “Come on, Rick wanted to talk to you, remember?”

Christy followed quietly, wondering if she was doing the right thing to keep her apprehensions to herself.

In the middle of the dorm hallway, Katie said, “If this is a God-thing, it will last. If not, it will dissolve. I know that because I've never been so completely open to God's leading in my life as I am right now. I think
it's the same for Rick. Neither of us is trying to make this happen. It's just what it is, and it will be whatever it's going to be.”

Christy nodded her agreement, and a surprising calm came over her. For some reason she thought of how her aunt had always tried to control Christy's social life and how much Christy disliked it when Aunt Marti interfered. If it had been Aunt Marti's choice, Christy would never have developed her friendship with Katie. But what did Aunt Marti know?

The last thing I want to do is to take on my aunt's controlling characteristics!

“I love you, Katie,” Christy said just before they walked into the lobby.

Katie flashed Christy a smile. “I love you, too.”

“Hey, Christy,” Rick said as they strode toward him. “I have something I wanted to give you. I was going to mail this.” He pulled an envelope from his back pocket. “But I hoped to somehow be able to hand it to you. I guess this is the opportunity I was hoping for.”

“Would you like me to leave you guys alone?” Katie asked.

“No, I don't mind if you hear this, Katie. I mean, if Christy doesn't mind.”

“No, it's fine.”

“I guess you both know I've been trying to make things right with people I hurt in the past and . . .” Rick seemed to have run out of words. He held out the crumpled envelope to Christy.

“Rick,” Christy felt as nervous as he looked at this
moment, “you don't need to apologize to me for anything. You and I settled everything a long time ago. I don't—”

“We didn't exactly settle everything,” Rick said. “I, uh, I did something really cruel and foolish when . . . well, you know . . .” He drew in a deep breath. “When you and I were dating, Christy, I stole your bracelet. Or rather, Todd's bracelet. Or, I mean, the bracelet Todd gave you.”

Christy bit the inside of her lower lip. She knew she had forgiven Rick for that long ago, but watching him so tortured as he made his confession to her brought all the emotions back to the surface for her, as well.

“I'm very sorry, Christy. That was wrong. I know you've forgiven me. But I also know that Doug and you made payments on the bracelet to the jewelry store where I traded it in.”

Christy noticed that Rick's forehead was glistening with perspiration as he continued. “I've made things right with Doug, and now I'd like to make things right with you. Christy, please accept this with my apology.” Rick's deep brown eyes begged for forgiveness.

“Thank you, Rick. I already forgave you, like you said.”